Steroid pulse therapy is favourable than the conventional one in preventing the increase of body fat percentage in patients with inflammatory bowel disease receiving short course…

Introduction: The effect of a 12-weeks course of corticosteroids on the metabolic processes and bone formation has not been well studied. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate the changes in bone and lipid metabolism as well as the body fat percentage in IBD patients treated with steroids for 12 weeks and to compare two types of oral tapering of methylprednisolone. Patients and methods: Nineteen patients with IBD (5 with Crohn's disease, 14 with ulcerative colitis) received intravenous methylprednisolone of 1mg/kg for 5 days due to an acute exacerbation of the disease tapered by 4mg per week. Patien…